Tax Thursdays: Get motivated to do your taxes

If you’re anything like me, chances are you need a little pep talk, so here are 5 quick tips to motivate you to complete your taxes:

1. Find out how rich you are

Knowing how much money you made last year provides reassurance for all your hard work. Essentially, you can see the fruits of your labor – and you gain bragging rights along the way. Yes, those fruits may cause you to owe money to the government but we won’t focus on that.

2. Make spending adjustments early on

When you start assessing your finances, you may discover a lot of unnecessary expenses from last year. Once you’re aware of them, you can cut them out for this year and the future. (That means more money in your pocket!) You can also use this as a chance to budget for tax payments you may need to make, whether they’re from last year or predictions for this year.

3. Avoid the last-minute crowd

As we get closer to the due date, filing agencies are going to flood with procrastinating taxpayers. You can beat the rush now and get through the process a lot faster. If you do your owe taxes, filing now will ensure they get in on time.

4. Hold a tax party

If you can’t muster the strength to file taxes on your own, make a party out of it. Invite other friends over who still need to file, and hang out while you finish the papers. Make sure that everyone stays focused, and you’ll be done in no time.

5. Set up a rewards system

Remember Mary Poppins? “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.” You have to find your sugar. Set a goal for your deductions and take yourself out on a shopping spree if you pass it. Deprive yourself of seeing a new movie out until you get things done. Think of something you really want, and use it as a tool to conquer the tax season.

Think of how good you’ll feel when your taxes for 2013 are finally behind you and get them done now. If you’ve already done your taxes, please share a tip below to help motivate your fellow biz owners.

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